During use, ice skate blades tend to accumulate ice, slush, water, and various forms of moisture, that need to be removed after use. Conventionally, a skater or user will use a cloth, rag, or some sort of fabric material, to clean, dry, and otherwise remove moisture and debris from the blades of the ice skate. However, using a cloth to remove moisture not only exposes the person cleaning and drying the skate blade to a number of potential safety hazards, but remains a less-than-optimal method of maintaining a pair of skates.
For example, rags used to remove moisture from skate blades may be stored in equipment bags between uses, with insufficient drying time between use and storage. When a user stores a moist rag in an equipment bag prior to proper drying, the rag may become moldy over time, potentially exposing the skater and others to airborne mold spores. Further, using a rag or other cloth to dry a skate blade creates the potential for the person cleaning and drying the skates to accidentally be cut or wounded by a relatively sharp skate blade.
In addition to safety and maintenance concerns, using cloths to clean and dry skate blades causes environmental waste. Due to frequent use, cloths used to dry blades become dirty very quickly, and require frequent washing and disposal.
In addition to wiping ice skate blades with a cloth, other methods for removing solid moisture or debris include moving a stiff-bristle brush over an ice skate blade. U.S. Pat. No. 2,826,774 to Skrainka (“Skrainka”) discloses a combined blade-guard and cleaner for ice skates. The “cleaner” of Skrainka takes the form of a brush attached to a blade guard. The brush is designed for use while a skate remains on the foot of a user.
However, such conventional methods do not result in a thoroughly dry skate blade, potentially leading to rusting, and pitting of the skate blade. This significantly decreases the life of the blade, and can cause the need to prematurely purchase new skates. Not only will a poorly maintained skate blade deteriorate more quickly, but a poorly maintained blade can quickly dull and may cause injuries to the person using the skates. Therefore, ice skate blades must be completely dried and cleaned after each use.